Case Number 06017

M*A*S*H: Season Seven

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All Rise...

Okay, here's a fun fact. When Judge David Johnson was a little guy, he came down with a serious case of hives, forcing his parents—huge fans of M*A*S*H—to miss the series finale, much to their chagrin.

The Charge

"Live! That's an order!" —Major Charles Winchester (from "Major Ego")

Opening Statement

The boys and girls from the 4077th M.A.S.H. unit march out in this release of
their seventh seasonal outing in the war-torn landscape of Korea. With only
their wit and home-made hooch to lean on, Hawkeye, B.J., and the rest of the
crew must reconcile their own sanity with their duty as smart-ass doctors.

Facts of the Case

Season Seven in the 4077th marked a few highlights in this long-running
"dramedy" series. B.J. Hunnicut (Mike Farrell) developed an impressive
mustache, "Hawkeye" Pierce (Alan Alda) started to shy away from his
womanizing tendencies, Radar (Gary Burghoff) was in his final tour of duty,
"Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) was treading the uncertain path of
divorcee, and Klinger (Jamie Farr) was enjoying one final season of
cross-dressing.

Fox has put together all 25 episodes from the 1978-1979 season, on three
discs. They are:

Disc One

• "Commander Pierce" Hawkeye is surprised at how
challenging being in charge can be.

• "Peace on Us" Hawkeye takes an impromptu trip
to the peace talks to give a piece of his mind.

• "Lil" Radar is uncomfortable with Potter's
chumminess with a woman named Lillian Rayburn.

• "Our Finest Hour, Parts 1 and 2" This
two-parter is a follow-up to a prior installment of war correspondent Clete
Roberts's new story. The episode is filmed as a news piece.

• "The Billfold Syndrome" Potter calls in
psychiatrist Sidney Freedman to analyze a young soldier who lost his memory.

• "None Like it Hot" A brutally hot stretch of
weather motivates B.J. and Hawkeye to order a portable bathtub—which soon
becomes the hit of the camp, much to their chagrin.

• "They Call the Wind Korea" On their way to
Seoul, Charles and Klinger take a detour and embark on their own little
adventure.

• "Major Ego" Charles successfully brings back a
patient from cardiac arrest, and is soon swept up in his own haughtiness.

Disc Two

• "Baby, It's Cold Outside" Charles becomes
unpopular as he flaunts his winter wear in front of the freezing camp.

• "Point of View" An innovative episode shot
entirely from the point of view of an injured soldier.

• "Dear Comrade" Charles gets a Korean servant,
whom he works hard; Charles's bunkmates suspect there might be more than meet
the eye with him, though.

• "Out of Gas" Father Mulcahy arranges a black
market drop for badly need sodium pentathol, and Charles rides along for what
turns out to be a dangerous sojourn.

• "An Eye for a Tooth" Father Mulcahy unleashes
his ire after learning he's been passed over for a promotion.

• "Dear Sis" A third consecutive Mulcahy-centric
episode finds the father grappling with his perceived uselessness in the
camp.

• "B.J. Papa San" B.J. consumes himself with
helping a destitute Korean family. Meanwhile, an accident-prone general endures
a living hell at the 4077th.

• "Inga" Pierce confronts his sexism face-to-face
when a ravishing Swedish doctor upstages him in the O.R.

Disc Three

• "The Price" Hawkeye and B.J. aid an AWOL Korean
soldier.

• "The Young and the Restless" A medical
demonstrator turns the 4077 upside down with his newest techniques.

• "Hot Lips is Back in Town" Radar seeks girl
advice from Hawkeye, and Houlihan lives it up after her official divorce.

• "CAVE" Hawkeye confronts his claustrophobia
when the 4077th bugs out to a cave.

• "Ain't Love Grand?" Charles and Klinger each
find themselves enveloped by the affections of the gentler sex.

• "The Party" B.J. organizes a reunion for the
4077th's family members in New York City.

The Evidence

Season Seven of M*A*S*H trumpeted an evolution in the series. Some may
say it improved, others may yearn for the days of Wayne Rogers, but it did
change. Aside from the character changes—and some, especially Hawkeye's,
were steep—the narratives started down a different path.

Hawkeye focused his energy less on debauchery and more on his anti-war
attitude; indeed the series, known for its strong anti-war messages, laid it on
thick this season, and set the table for even more vigorous anti-war episodes
(not that this made it any less entertaining, in my opinion).

I was never fond of the first three seasons of M*A*S*H and intensely
disliked the Trapper John and Colonel Blake characters. B.J.'s appearance in
season four and Potter's ascent to the throne were both welcome changes for me.
Most of all, I appreciated the swapping of Charles Winchester with Frank Burns.
Burns was funny enough, but he was too one-dimensional, with no redeeming
qualities at all. And he was no match for B.J. and Hawkeye. Charles offered a
better foil for the two—here was skillful doctor with wit who could go toe
to toe with his bunkmates. Obnoxious, sure; but not as overblown a caricature as
Frank Burns.

Anyway, all these changes had taken place long before season seven, but what
stands out is the way the writers (including Alan Alda, who became a major
scribe) involved these characters in increasingly innovative and experimental
episodes. "Point of View" is an excellent example. An episode like
this is a herald for upcoming unique episodes that find the docs operating in
real time (with a ticking clock on screen), or each having surreal dreams. The
show certainly changed in its run, and that I think is evidence of the writers
trying to take it new directions.

"Inga," the Emmy-winning episode written and directed by Alda,
represented a turning point for Hawkeye's character. It was if the writing staff
determined that this was to be the moment that Hawkeye turned away from his
rakish lifestyle—and indeed the forthcoming seasons placed his hormones on
the back burner. (A case can be made that his womanizing was subsiding
substantially following the early years, anyway.)

Basically, if you're a fan of the "mustache years," marked by
B.J.'s upper-lip growth, a non-cross-dressing Klinger, and less focus on
clowning around and more on ending the war, this is the set that ushers in that
era.

Though I usually praise Fox for its television treatments, I am continually
disappointed by its handling of M*A*S*H. There are no special features at
all—no commentary tracks, no featurettes, nothing. This is one of the most
beloved shows of all time, and the lack of anything supplementary is ridiculous.
The packaging is pretty shoddy as well.

Fox transfers the show to DVD format well. Presented in its original
full-screen format, the video quality is clean and the colors are solid. For
evidence, compare "Our Greatest Hour," which was taken from
syndication because the original prints were lost, to any other episode on the
set. The difference is striking. The original mono sound does its job.

Closing Statement

These releases have always been mainly for M*A*S*H completists. With
extra features being AWOL, this is a sub-par DVD, but the strong content found
within this season makes up for it.